Help with checking required fields

Hi, I'm a n00b.

So I want to check all the fields on the page to see if they've all got selections. But because PHP outputs only some of the total number of fields, dynamically based on user input on previous pages, I don't know which fields will be there and which aren't.

I really only barely know javascript, but it seems to me like this should work:

function validate()
{
if (mainform.associate_weight.value) { associate_weight = mainform.associate_weight.value; }
else { associate_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.customer_weight.value) { customer_weight = mainform.customer_weight.value; }
else { customer_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.problem_weight.value) { problem_weight = mainform.problem_weight.value; }
else { problem_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.business_weight.value) { business_weight = mainform.business_weight.value; }
else { business_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.technical_weight.value) { technical_weight = mainform.technical_weight.value; }
else { technical_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.adaptability_weight.value) { adaptability_weight = mainform.adaptability_weight.value; }
else { adaptability_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.cognitive_weight.value) { cognitive_weight = mainform.cognitive_weight.value; }
else { cognitive_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.organizational_weight.value) { organizational_weight = mainform.organizational_weight.value; }
else { organizational_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.self_weight.value) { self_weight = mainform.self_weight.value; }
else { self_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.teamwork_weight.value) { teamwork_weight = mainform.teamwork_weight.value; }
else { teamwork_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.staff_weight.value) { staff_weight = mainform.staff_weight.value; }
else { staff_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.financial_weight.value) { financial_weight = mainform.financial_weight.value; }
else { financial_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.client_weight.value) { client_weight = mainform.client_weight.value; }
else { client_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.operations_weight.value) { operations_weight = mainform.operations_weight.value; }
else { operations_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.personal_weight.value) { personal_weight = mainform.personal_weight.value; }
else { personal_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.operations_weight.value) { operations_weight = mainform.operations_weight.value; }
else { operations_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.personal_weight.value) { personal_weight = mainform.personal_weight.value; }
else { personal_weight = 1; }
if (mainform.department_weight.value) { department_weight = mainform.department_weight.value; }
else { department_weight = 1; }

if (mainform.associate_grade.value) { associate_grade = mainform.associate_grade.value; }
else { associate_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.customer_grade.value) { customer_grade = mainform.customer_grade.value; }
else { customer_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.problem_grade.value) { problem_grade = mainform.problem_grade.value; }
else { problem_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.business_grade.value) { business_grade = mainform.business_grade.value; }
else { business_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.technical_grade.value) { technical_grade = mainform.technical_grade.value; }
else { technical_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.adaptability_grade.value) { adaptability_grade = mainform.adaptability_grade.value; }
else { adaptability_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.cognitive_grade.value) { cognitive_grade = mainform.cognitive_grade.value; }
else { cognitive_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.organizational_grade.value) { organizational_grade = mainform.organizational_grade.value; }
else { organizational_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.self_grade.value) { self_grade = mainform.self_grade.value; }
else { self_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.teamwork_grade.value) { teamwork_grade = mainform.teamwork_grade.value; }
else { teamwork_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.staff_grade.value) { staff_grade = mainform.staff_grade.value; }
else { staff_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.financial_grade.value) { financial_grade = mainform.financial_grade.value; }
else { financial_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.client_grade.value) { client_grade = mainform.client_grade.value; }
else { client_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.operations_grade.value) { operations_grade = mainform.operations_grade.value; }
else { operations_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.personal_grade.value) { personal_grade = mainform.personal_grade.value; }
else { personal_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.operations_grade.value) { operations_grade = mainform.operations_grade.value; }
else { operations_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.personal_grade.value) { personal_grade = mainform.personal_grade.value; }
else { personal_grade = 1; }
if (mainform.department_grade.value) { department_grade = mainform.department_grade.value; }
else { department_grade = 1; }

var validateArray = new Array(associate_weight, customer_weight, problem_weight, business_weight, technical_weight, adaptability_weight, cognitive_weight, organizational_weight, self_weight, teamwork_weight, staff_weight, financial_weight, client_weight, operations_weight, personal_weight, department_weight, associate_grade, customer_grade, problem_grade, business_grade, technical_grade, adaptability_grade, cognitive_grade, organizational_grade, self_grade, teamwork_grade, staff_grade, financial_grade, client_grade, operations_grade, personal_grade, department_grade);

fail=0;

for (var i=0; i<validateArray.length; i++)
{
arrayItem=validateArray[i];
if (arrayItem=='')
{
fail=1;
}
}

if (fail==1)
{
alert('Please complete all fields.');
event.returnValue=false;
}
}

But it doesn't. Can anyone help out a n00b?

Don't worry "N00bs" are people too.

questor,

You can use a quick DOM call to check to see if the object exists in the document.



for (var i=0; i<validateArray.length; i++){
oField = document.forms[0].elements[validateArray[i]]
if ((oField)){
// Add Validation Code Here
}
}


If the field was output by PHP's echo statement then the statement will return [object HTMLInputElement] and evaluate as true.

An alternative is to place your validation script at the end of the page. That way PHP can output a custom array of only the generated form fields. Althought doing so would require adding server side code, the change would have the advantage of speeding up the validation process as you would not have to a smaller array evaluate and loop thru.


:thumbsup:

MindCrafter
www.mindcrafter.com

Hmm, I've got:

function validate()
{
var validateArray = new Array(associate_weight, customer_weight, problem_weight, business_weight, technical_weight, adaptability_weight, cognitive_weight, organizational_weight, self_weight, teamwork_weight, staff_weight, financial_weight, client_weight, operations_weight, personal_weight, department_weight, associate_grade, customer_grade, problem_grade, business_grade, technical_grade, adaptability_grade, cognitive_grade, organizational_grade, self_grade, teamwork_grade, staff_grade, financial_grade, client_grade, operations_grade, personal_grade, department_grade);

fail=0;

for (var i=0; i<validateArray.length; i++)
{
oField = document.forms[0].elements[validateArray[i]]
if ((oField))
{
if (oField=='')
{
fail=1;
}
}
}

if (fail==1)
{
alert('Please complete all fields.');
event.returnValue=false;
}
}

And it seems to let me to the next page without question...?

Your array contains a bunch of strings so you need to enclose them in quotes. You also never check the value. Try something like this:


function validate(){
var validateArray = new Array("associate_weight","customer_weight","problem_weight","business_weight","technical_weight","adaptability_weight","cognitive_weight","organizational_weight","self_weight","teamwork_weight","staff_weight","financial_weight","client_weight","operations_weight","personal_weight","department_weight","associate_grade","customer_grade","problem_grade","business_grade","technical_grade","adaptability_grade","cognitive_grade","organizational_grade","self_grade","teamwork_grade","staff_grade","financial_grade","client_grade","operations_grade","personal_grade","department_grade");

fail=0;

for (var i=0; i<validateArray.length; i++){
oField = document.forms[0].elements[validateArray[i]]
if ((oField)){
if (oField.value=='') fail=1;
}
}

if (fail){
alert('Please complete all fields.');
event.returnValue=false;
}
}

You da man!

<script>
<!--
function checkForm(){
for(i=0;i<mainform.elements.length;i++){
switch (mainform.elements[i].value){
case "": alert("You must complete all fields!");
return false;
}
}
}
//-->
</script>




-james